Headlining the inaugural card of ProBoxTV.com on Friday, May 20th. In the co-main event, Mèng's countryman and former WBA featherweight champion Xú "Monster" Càn takes on Mexican rumbler Brandon Abenamar León Benítez. Mèng is the current IBF light heavyweight #1 contender, but has fought just once in over 2½ years. The southpaw Chinese giant defeated Panamanian glass cannon Israel Duffus last October via UD (and not even a shutout, embarrassingly...all three judges found at least three rounds for Duffus, and one had it as close as 96-94!) but if you subtract that one assignment his layoff would have been even longer than semi-retired Pascal's, who laced up last for a loss to Badou Jack in December of 2019 and hasn't yet fought during the pandemic era. ProBoxTV is billing this as the last chance for the Haitian-Canadian former WBC and WBA light heavyweight champion to claw into contention again. The winner could have a tentative date with Sergey Kovalev in the summer. Mèng was scheduled to face the Russian in April before walking away from the negotiating table dissatisfied with Triller's handling of a postponement, while Pascal has already suffered a pair of stoppage defeats to Kovalev in 2015 & 2016.
Pascal is coming in with a brand new head trainer - Orlando Cuellar of Cuba, renowned for guiding journeyman Glen "The Road Warrior" Johnson through his last dozen years in the ring (a rollercoaster that included significant overachievement as well as deep slumps). Most of Pascal's career had previously been spent with Marc Ramsay and later Stephane Larouche, both of them fellow Quebecers - although in between he did have a brief and unsuccessful stint under Freddie Roach, for just one fight: the Kovalev rematch. Mèng was still with his Mongolian amateur trainer Ma Jingwei as of turning over, but is now coached by former cruiserweight fringe contender Shauna Rackeem George, best remembered for upsetting Chris Byrd and nipping in the bud the multiple-time heavyweight titlist's ambitious plan to drop all the way down and return to his pro debut class of light heavyweight for the first time in 15 years. Joining him in the Shaun George stable is world-ranked heavyweight Zhilei Zhang - who like Mèng is also Chinese, also southpaw, also more than six feet tall, and also undefeated.
Pascal can 100% pick this up, but I favor Meng. I think Pascal will be too old and usually after guys get busted for roids, they decline to a huge extent.
I'd be most concerned about the rust factor...but if he can bring what he did against the Swede it ought to suffice. Many felt he could've gotten the nod over Badou, and Fanlong isn't really on that level. But what I know for sure is that it'll be fun watching Jean try landing a leaping gazelle hook on a 6'2" dude.
Pascal is a proven commodity at the highest of levels. Sure he has slowed a tad, but I think his experience and ring guile will carry him through to an easy victory on this one
Appears so. But take heed, this isn't just another random startup being run by knucklehead investors coming in clueless about the biz ... the founders/owners are none other than Antonio Tarver, RJJ, Paulie Malignaggi and JMM. No shit. All very good (two great) fighters, and decent (one of not two very good) commentators. Let's see how they do in this aspect of the sport.
Not yet up on Boxrec, the undercard is fleshed out and will constitute the beginning and quarterfinal stage of a "Last Chance" tourney ProBoxTv is conducting: https://boxingnews.co/probox-tv-to-...ent-on-fanlong-meng-vs-jean-pascal-broadcast/ Eight light welters, all "chosen based on having top amateur trajectories before initiating promising careers professionally and taking difficult turns recently". Here's the bracket: ● Zhiming Wang (11-3, 3 KOs) of Wuhan, China will face Francisco Armenta (12-1, 4 KOs) of Sinaloa, Mexico. ● Kendo Castañeda (17-5, 8 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas will take on Sonny Frederickson (21-5, 14 KOs) of Toledo, Ohio. ● Michael Dutchover (15-2, 10 KOs) of Midland, Texas will battle against Clarence Booth (21-4, 13 KOs) of Saint Petersburg, Florida. ● Antonio “Toño” Moran (26-5-1, 19 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico will fight Jeffrey Torres (10-1, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I kind of dig this, reminds me of Boxcino experiment by ESPN but hopefully doesn't prove to be as much a dead end. Pretty much all those guys desperately need something exactly like this.
Fittingly, this is as much a "Last Chance" deal for Pascal as for any of those 140lbers in the undercard tournament. Surprisingly little faith left in him, trailing in the poll now 7-2.
Wasn’t Meng lined up to face Beterbiev at one point? Artur would have walked through him in a round. pascal should win this unless he’s grown extremely old since his last fight
@IntentionalButt good memory! Didn’t realise it was all the way in 2018? I hate how each year goes quicker the older we get, scary!
